Homeless man attacked by security guard near parliament

'It’s so disappointing that this shocking attack took place right by the gates of parliament' 

Emma Snaith
Sunday 02 June 2019 14:46 BST
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Homeless man 'attacked by security guard' close to UK Parliament

A homeless man was subjected to a “shocking” attack less than a mile away from the Houses of Parliament.

Clad in florescent jacket, a security guard was filmed as he kicked and shoved the man who is believed to have been begging outside the Red Lion pub on Whitehall.

The guard can be seen kicking the man from behind as he walked away from the pub.

He then pursued the homeless man further down the street, filmed in a separate video, before bystanders intervene. One man is shown putting himself between the guard and the homeless man.

Stephen Canning, a Conservative councillor for Essex. filmed the incident. He said: “A homeless man was begging outside the Red Lion pub in Whitehall, which often happens. The security guard asked him to move on and slowly he did.

“As he began walking away, off the pub’s property, the security guard kicked and shoved him and chased him down an alleyway. A couple of us started running after them. I put myself between the homeless man and the security guard and the situation calmed down."

Mr Canning added that the police were called but the homeless man had left by the time that they arrived.

He said that officers were unable to investigate the incident as the homeless man was not there to make a complaint.

“It’s so disappointing that this shocking attack took place right by the gates of parliament,” he added.

The Red Lion pub is popular among MPs and civil servants and will become part of the parliamentary estate when the Commons chamber moves for refurbishment work.

In a tweet responding to the video of the incident, Fuller's, who own the pub, wrote: “We have contacted our security company and a full investigation is underway.”

The Independent has contacted Fuller's for further comment but did not respond at the time of publication.

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